Residents of Irwindale, CA claim that the odors coming from the
Huy Hong Foods factory, where the sauce is made, are causing
irritated eyes, throats, and headaches.

On Monday, Irwindale filed a lawsuit against the factory, arguing
that the smell is a public nuisance and asking the Los Angeles
Supreme Court to stop operations at the facility until the
company proposes a way to eliminate the odors it creates.

“If they fix it and the odor problems stop, we don’t need this
order; but so far the odor complaints continue,” Irwindale
City Attorney Fred Galante told the Los Angeles Times. He noted
that about 30 residents have signed on to the city’s complaint
against Huy Hong Foods.

“Given how long it’s going on, we had no choice but to
institute this action,” Galante said.

A judge will decide whether or not to halt production at the
factory on Thursday.

According to the Times, the smell from the factory is so strong
that one local family needed to move a birthday party indoors
because of it.

The lawsuit claims that city officials met with Huy Hong Foods
representatives multiple times to discuss efforts to eliminate
the smell coming from the factory. At first, the company agreed
to work with the city on the odor problem, but talks fell apart
after they eventually denied there was an issue. Galante said
representatives told him factory employees in similar situations
have yet to complain.

Invented by a Vietnamese immigrant named David Tran, the
green-capped Sriracha hot sauce has become extremely popular
nationwide since its inception in the 1980s. The first Sriracha
Festival was held in downtown Los Angeles over the weekend.